Around the country, communities fighting fracking took their cause to the ballot box in the 2014 cycle — or tried to. But even before voters got a chance to voice their values some were preempted by nefariously oily means, while others faced big money influence during and after the election. All of these point to a problem that is (unbelievably) even bigger than fracking—the state of democracy. Two communities did something different, they banned fracking by standing up for their civil rights.
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With the passage of Measure S, residents in Mendocino County not only banned fracking, they made history as the first California community to adopt a Community Bill of Rights, placing their rights above corporate interests.
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On Sunday October 5 2014, a People’s Tribunal will examine the violations of community and nature’s rights caused by the fossil fuel industry, using Chevron’s refinery in Richmond as a case study. Recognizing legal standing for ecosystems is a concept that has been gaining strength over the past decade, in dozens of US communities and in the constitution of Ecuador. The tribunal takes place between 10 am – 2 pm at Laney College’s Forum in Oakland. Register NOW.
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